How Laila Ali stood up to her father Muhammad Ali to become a world champion boxer

The daughter of the world's most iconic sporting hero Muhammad Ali has revealed with brutal honesty the surprising difficulties she faced with her father when she took up boxing.

Laila Ali led a successful career in the sport, and was an undefeated (24-0) world champion. But in a recent interview, three years on since the death of her legendary father, she described her tough, unorthodox journey into the sport as the daughter of 'the greatest of all time' who she called a "little bit of a male chauvinist".

Despite being exposed to boxing throughout her life, it wasn't until Ali was 17 years old that she saw a women's boxing match on television and the idea of giving it a go blossomed.

"But the fear and the doubts set in - of living a public life, I was never even an athlete, I never participated in sports, I was about 30 pounds overweight. It took me a year and I said I'm just going to do it.

"I started training kind of in secrecy because I really wanted to see if I had what it took because if it wasn't going to come natural to me, if I wasn't going to be good at it, I wasn't going to do it."

"And think of all the blood, sweat and tears he went through, through his career. All of the history of why people love him and all that. And now I was saying I want to go to a dirty, grimy gym and go fight and spar with me.

Ali said that it took some time and some difficult conversations, but eventually he came around to supporting her in her boxing career.

"After I won my titles, I was doing well, he came back and he apologised and said, 'I'm sorry, you can fight, women can fight and I love you'," she said.

Ali said it was the same determined and focused character traits that made her father such a success, that also made her stand her ground against him when it came to pursuing boxing.

"I got something special that came from my daddy. I'm just a lot like him. He had to respect it and he does respect me," she said.

"My dad and I had probably three big conversations in my life and one of them was not wanting to be Muslim. I remember when I turned 18 and moved out of the house and moved in with my boyfriend and he tried to judge me for that. I said, 'Hold on, wait a minute, we could talk about a few things you've done'. I had to put him in his place and then with boxing when he told me it was something I couldn't do...

"If I were to have listened to him I would have never went and did what I wanted to do."

A 2005 file photo showing US boxing legend Muhammad Ali looking over the ropes at his daughter Laila (AAP)

Ali, 41, went on to claim the WBC, WIBA, IWBF, and IBA titles in the super middleweight division as well as the IWBF light heavyweight belt, with 21 knockout victories. And eventually her father was ringside to watch her succeed in every bout too.

Looking back, she doesn't hold anything against her father's early attitude, and still looks up to him today.

"My father was such an amazing example of someone who was at the top, but such a kind, giving, compassionate person. He never looked down on anybody, he was never tacky, he never flaunted his money in everyone's face," she said.

"He had a lot of character and class.

"That's what I strive to be, so that's how I remember my father and that's what gives me the pride, knowing there's never going to be another Muhammad Ali."

Nowadays Ali works in media, food, fitness, heath and wellness, and speaks about her experiences as an entrepreneur, former boxer and daughter of one of the most influential figures in history.

Ironically as a mother, she said she can now also somewhat sympathise with her father's stance on boxing, saying in the podcast that she would not want her children to take up the sport, though she would support them if that's what they chose to do.

"It has come a long way, especially with the UFC. But there are a lot more professional female fighters," Ali said.

"I see the women are really feisty and strong as well. It doesn't surprise me because I know what women are capable of, but I'm glad that it's been more accepted and women are getting more opportunities."